President's Climate Action Committee
Recent News: The Committee held an energy audit of the Alumni House to create a model for energy saving across campus. View pictures here.
Consisting of staff from the Center for Environment & Society, as well as other college staff, faculty, and students, the President's Climate Action Committee is hard at work to help the college meet first-year goals set by the American College & Universities Presidents Climate Commitment. Here is a look at some of the committee's recent accomplishments and on-going projects:
- In the Summer of 2007, WC President Tipson joined with leaders of more than 300 other institutions of higher learning in the US in signing the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.
- Additionally, Chestertown's Mayor Margo Bailey signed the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement.
- In Summer of 2007, the Center for Environment & Society received grants from the Town Creek Foundation, the Shared Earth Foundation, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust in order to assist the College and the town in their efforts to meet these climate commitments.
- The Board of Visitor's and Governor's adopted a campus wide green building policy, pledging that all new construction and renovation be built to LEED Silver standards.
- In Fall of 2007, CES hired a Climate Action Coordinator and a Research Associate to oversee the management of the climate action plans being drawn up by the College and the town.
- Washington College has undertaken numerous actions already in its effort to reduce its carbon footprint. Among these are: establishing a Sustainability Committee, made up of students, faculty, staff, and members of the local community; adopting Energy Star procurement policies; ramping up the campus recycling program; using re-useable inter-office envelopes for campus mail; replacing production of paper materials with online alternatives; promoting the use of printer settings and paper reduction software; using bulk condiment dispensers instead of single-serving packages in dining operations; replacing all incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones; and, incorporating materials management information into new employee and student orientation programs.
- CES has completed an inventory of the College's greenhouse gas emissions. View the final report here. Download the abbreviated version here.
- CES is currently assisting Chestertown in its efforts to reduce the carbon footprint, as described in the Mayors Climate Agreement. As part of the town's climate effort, CES will provide data regarding the town's Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) and make recommendations for new tree plantings as well as other urban greening options.
- CES is also working to create an urban greening tool kit that can be used by other local municipalities on the Eastern Shore in order to help the region achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Committee Members
Baird Tipson, College President
Joe Holt '83 M'98, Executive Vice President
Dr. John Seidel, Director of the Center for Environment & Society, Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies
Briggs Cunningham, Climate Action Coordinator
JoAnn Fairchild '84 M'94, Program Manager, Center for Environment & Society
Tara Holste '07, Research Associate/ Recycling Coordinator, Center for Environment & Society
Dr. Anne Marteel-Parish, Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Leslie Sherman, Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Studies
Dr. Mindy Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Biology
Dr. Brian Scott, Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies
Stewart Bruce, GIS Program Coordinator
Reid Raudenbush, Director of Physical Plant
Laura Johnstone Wilson, Director of Campus Events
Jim Gatto, Chestertown Planning Commission
Jenifer Endicott, Center Coordinator